"Bringing and arranging sticks is part of their bonding process."

January 24, 2025 3:41 PM

Did you know that a bald eagle makes a sound like a teakettle when it is laying an egg? I know that now, thanks to the Friends of Big Bear Valley (CA) Eagle Cam, going in to its seventh year. More about the eagle nest and the camera. [via]
posted by jessamyn (10 comments total)

Oh we love to watch this !!
Plus california condor cams

Also california underpasses and toad tunnels

And the liberty canyon wildlife crossing bridge

Sometimes they post some really fun snaps
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:17 PM on January 24 [3 favorites]

The teakettling starts at about 3:45 on the youtube timer or 4:30 on the in-video timer.

Good job eagle!
posted by panhopticon at 4:20 PM on January 24 [2 favorites]

Whistling turns into a quick burp at 4:32 on the YT timer! Eeeeee!
posted by not_on_display at 5:12 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]

you'd make worse noises, just sayin'
posted by scruss at 6:35 PM on January 24 [8 favorites]

My kid's school library just projects this livestream on the wall all the time. I just thought it was a relaxing nature scene but the other day I was volunteering in there and I saw the eagle!
posted by potrzebie at 7:09 PM on January 24 [3 favorites]

A few years ago I kept the eagle nest cam open while I was at work. I happened to catch one of the babies squirt a huge poop right into one of the eagle parents faces, and I swear I could see the dejection and resignation take over them. Never saw such a human emotion in a bird.
posted by LizBoBiz at 11:45 PM on January 24 [6 favorites]

My partner would keep the Edmonton livecam of a pair of Canada Geese going through work, we talked about them like you would neighbours
posted by ginger.beef at 6:05 AM on January 25 [1 favorite]

We have a new eagle nest in my neighborhood and I have been wondering how to listen

I think the freeze may have gotten to mum, and I m trying to figure if she will lay
posted by eustatic at 12:43 PM on January 25

I live somewhere with a lot of bald eagles (and raptors in general) and one of my favorite things is when people first hear what a bald eagle actually sounds like and they learn that they sound like whiny seagulls with a head cold, not the much more impressive and movie-friendly cry of a red tailed hawk as used or misused - well, basically everywhere - any time you see a bald eagle in media.

Yeah, no, that impressive red tailed hawk cry is coming from a bird like 1/6th or less the size of an adult bald eagle. Eagles just chirp and whistle and make noises like they're constantly complaining about being bullied by crows and seagulls... because they kind of are constantly being bullied by crows and seagulls. And ravens just laugh at them.

I have observed this a lot with bald eagles... all of the other birds warn each other about the presence of a bald eagle because bald eagles really like to steal their lunches. And both crows and seagulls will gang up on the eagles and try to harass them out of their turf and it's hilarious.
posted by loquacious at 1:20 PM on January 25 [5 favorites]

Mod note: Metafilter: "whiny seagulls with a head cold"

Also, we've added this to our little loose set of interesting links currently on the sidebar and Best of blog. Thanks, Jess!
posted by taz (staff) at 12:52 AM on February 9